Council backs plan to improve prominent corner by Bainbridge ferry

BAINBRIDGE ISLAND — The plan to beautify a barren patch of ground at the island’s most prominent intersection received the City Council’s greenlight Wednesday.

The former Unocal gas station site will now undergo a public design and planning process aimed at transforming it into a park by November.

The 1-acre, fenced site at the Winslow Way-Highway 305 intersection is seen by most people who use the island’s ferry or enter Winslow from the highway.

“This is both a crossroad for Bainbridge Island and a gateway for the entire Kitsap and Olympic peninsulas,” said Bruce Weiland, a member of the Bainbridge Island Park Task Force, which floated the park idea in June. “To put it bluntly, it’s a source embarrassment. We want make it a point of pride.”

The site has sat unused since the gas station closed in 1989, leaving behind ground contaminants that limit redevelopment.

The 60-member task force has promised to fully fund the project’s estimated $300,000 budget with private donations. They plan to install plants, a foot path and benches under the guidance of prominent landscape architect Johnpaul Jones. The Bainbridge park district has agreed to maintain the park.

The council’s unanimous consent was applauded by a large contingent of supporters packing City Hall.